Rotation of hyphal in-growth cores has no confounding effects on soil abiotic properties

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry 2014-12, Vol.79, p.78-80
• Main Authors: Leifheit, E.F., Verbruggen, E., Rillig, M.C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Biochemistry and biology; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Economic plant physiology; Experimental control; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hyphal in-growth core; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Rotated core; Soil science; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...)
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.09.006

To disentangle effects of fungal hyphae and plant roots hyphal in-growth cores have become a common tool in research on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). However, it is unknown if the frequent rotation of a compartment has any side-effects that may hinder attributing findings to AMF. We set up an experiment with the presence/absence of a non-AMF microbial community, where each pot contained a rotated and a non-rotated soil core. The results show that within our rotation design soil parameters such as water content, soil structure, pH, and C and N concentrations are not influenced by the regular rotation in the absence of AMF. Our study therefore clearly underlines the validity of the rotated hyphal in-growth core as an experimental control for AMF growth and activity. •Mycorrhizal functional ecology is limited in terms of study designs.•Rotated/static core array design is critically tested.•Rotation did not cause changes in abiotic parameter in the absence of AM fungi.